Personally I’ve given up writing about transfer news until it looks as though we have players nearly “over the line” so with so many people saying that a medical is/has/will take place surely there is no smoke without fire?

The 23-year-old helped his club to their maiden league title last season and has been a first-team regular at the Stade de la Mosson since the 2007-2008 season, making his breakthrough when he was only 18 years of age and remaining a feature of a defence noted for it’s organisation ever since. All in all Yanga-Mbiwa has made 168 appearances for Montpellier scoring four goals.

Born in the Central African Republic, Yanga-Mbiwa moved to France as a youngster and holds dual citizenship leaving him able to represent either country internationally. However it was France who called up the then 20-year-old to their under-21 team first and Mapou has since gone on to represent the full France team three times.

A fee in the region of £6.7 million is believed to have been enough to tempt Montpellier to do business with us and I just hope we move to get this one tied up before anyone else can stick their beak in!

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Yanga-Mbiwa is a physical presence at the back which is what we need, but I have a horrible feeling signing him will ensure we see the back of Fabricio Coloccini meaning that there is an awful lot of pressure on the lad to come into a new club, country and culture and get up to speed straight away.

Of course I might be wrong and Colo might stay for the remainder of the season in which case our central defender stock should be fine in terms of numbers but we’ll see.

More to follow, including the picture of him holding up the shirt at Benton, soon. Hopefully.

just been reading the ladyarse forum and their french gooner says he was due into Toon at 18.00hrs for a medical ,was set for arrival tommorow but when Toon heard about late interest from Arsenal they moved it forward to tonight. Not arrived yet though according to Douglas, confused now. 😕

whilst these are all good players the idea that they are all french is a bit disconcerting. All of our eggs in one basket so to speak. Is there a good french manager out there available. Blanc has problems with HBA I seem to remember?

For what it’s worth, Douglas also said the delay was weather related, but that there are still nerves jangling.

That Telegraph story says the same:

Telegraph Sport has been told Newcastle still expect Yanga-Mbiwa to arrive on Tyneside, with the club blaming the weather for the delay, but these are anxious times for supporters after what happened with Remy.

Good signal of intent if he comes in. If Pards is staying, the board should back him heavily. He has no excuses then, however much I have lost fsith in him – I’d be delighted if he could turn it around and improve our club’s fortunes. I just hope the board font stop here. We are still very light up front and the quality of our wings is poor.

Shamrock I still believe that the board favour bringing Carroll back in the summer. He can’t come sooner as UEFA regs forbid it. But with 2 target men, Carroll and Cisse it would be a good choice between them. Still need to improve the supply lines.

Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini’s father has revealed he expects a decision to be made over his son’s future on Tuesday.

Coloccini has told the club that he would like to leave St James’ Park during the current transfer window to return to his native Argentina due to personal reasons.

United boss Alan Pardew has said he is still hopeful of persuading the 30-year-old to stay on Tyneside but Osvaldo Coloccini (who is a director of youth football at San Lorenzo) told a local radio station that his son is keen to seal a move to the Argentinian side.

“There was an inconclusive meeting today,” Coloccini Snr told ‘Rock and Closs’. “Tomorrow there will be a decision. We both desire the transfer.

“Fabricio is very anxious, he wants a decision to be made one way or another. I believe this is the moment to move.

“Newcastle have asked him to wait until May. The issue is if San Lorenzo will wait until that date.

“It would be beautiful if both of us were at San Lorenzo, the club we love. Fabricio is eager to return, but he wants to do so in an elegant way.”

I dont know Prem? Defo need a good winger and another striker now to help Cisse, but would be happy to see Carroll back in the summer. If we got a good winger with a bit of pace and genuine crossing ability, someone like Danny Graham and this CB during this window I think we would be OK despite Pardew’s increasing incompetence. The worry is if Colo goes, we are back to square 1 in terms of CB’s at the club… I have no concerns with Perch/Bigi covering Tiote so not overly fussed about Sissoko.

TAE he may well be. Problem is he is probably not even sure what he wants himself. Too many pressures not enough clarity., Worked with many clients similar. Family, childhood dreams, career commitments all demanding, none giving, he probably hasn’t got a clue what is best for himself. Trying to keep too many people happy Father, Wife, Childhood Club, Current employers., Agents, Teamates, Fans. who knows.

Graham is a life long toon fan and Gateshead born, it ‘might’ prove to be a safer option than a big money panic buy from the French or Dutch bargain basement. Remy was first choice – Graham would accept that. He’d have the desire.

Morning fellow #NUFC fans! #Nancy confirms that Haidara will be signing for #NUFC today. 2 signings in a day would be nice

Seems the clubs official twitter has confirmed Haidara will sign today.

If we got Mbiwa over the line the defence looks well sorted for the first time in so long… But as always with Newcastle it doesn’t last long, because Colo leaving would leave us very short on experience and no better off on quality for now…

Marseilles manager Elie Baup says he does not expect to sign Moussa Sissoko, 23, from Toulouse, saying the midfielder appears to want to move to Newcastle.
Full story: lequipe.com
From BBC Gossip

Can’t find in on L’Equipe myself though. Just

Louis Nicollin does “not cry” the departure of Yanga-Mbiwa to Newcastle, but he does not understand his choice. As in the case of Belhanda, “apart from Turkey I do not know who wants,” says the president of Montpellier in an interview.

Sorry Batty it is no laughing matter. But It does depend on refinding some form. I think last year we had squad players who performed well Guthrie Best etc, This year that hasn’t happened and so no one has really had a platform to shine.
I don’t think the ship has sunk yet.

I think its safe to assume Pardew wont be getting the boot any time soon, so the regime need to pull out all the stops to get these deals done.
Despite my criticism of his coaching skills this season, I would be delighted if he manages to ensure our PL status.
Looking ahead at the fixtures tho, I am really worried. I dont see where we are getting the 19 points from.
It will take time for any new faces to settle into the squad.
Colo can put his lip away and bloody well get on with his job. At the very least til the end of this season. He has disgusted me with his attitude. Would be different if we were pushing for CL spot tho.
Knut 👿
Hope to hear some GOOD news today, for a change. 😕

Where in your life have you ever seen a 10million pound defender, who just recently signed a new deal, decide he wants to go to his home town club for FREE and the club just expect him to be released from his contract.

It really is unbelievable. And all this amist a relegation crisis!

If rumours are true that Colo was unfaithful, that IS NOT the club’s problem. He needs to accept the consiquences of his actions.

I understand familty comes first. But he should then buy himself out of his contract and San Lorenzo should pay a tribunal fee, even if it is paid off over a couple years.

This is a massive business with an enormous amount at stakes. It affects the entire club and potentially the careers of other players and the exsistance of the club as a whole.

The way I see this Colo fiasco it’s simple to sort out, if it’s personal reasons which I believe it is as the club have already confirmed it. So he wants to go back home to sort it out, and I can sort of understand that so we might aswell let him go as his head won’t be with us for a relegation scrap but will be in the clouds thinking of home and family, so he wont be of any use to us when we need him the most.
So why fuk about just let him go and tend to his family as they’re more important to him than footie, and we just hold on to his registration, until someone buy’s him off us

Dave @201 ,That would be my thoughts too. If he has been unfaithfull though ,I think it’s rank bad form that we should suffer for it and the guy has seriously gone down in my estimation . 🙁 Also if he does go then we must sign another quality CB as we are no further forward even if Mbiwa arrives. 🙄

Not being funny but if Colo was boning some other lass, that’s his business and he’s “suffering” in the expected manner. It’s a joke to let him go for free or anything less than 10mil, he’s worth more than that anyway as one of the best in the prem-CBs can play well into their 30s and Colo never relied on his pace so could still have 7 years at the top. Wasn’t Rio bought for 30 odd mil? Just saying….

BB I agree it doesn’t help us but keeping him while he doesn’t want to be here doesn’t help us either.
But I wouldn’t loan him or give him away I would give him time off to try to sort his problems out, but hold on to his registration, until he sorts his family out or san lorenzo pay us for him.

Kim imo we are only getting this CB in because of the Colo fiasco, thats why it wasn’t sorted last thursday as it was supposed to be sorted but then was changed till yesterday but because of the hold up withBB I agree it doesn’t help us but keeping him while he doesn’t want to be here doesn’t help us either.
But I wouldn’t loan him or give him away I would give him time off to try to sort his problems out, but hold on to his registration, until he sorts his family out or san lorenzo pay us for him.

Kim imo we are only getting this CB in because of the Colo fiasco, thats why it wasn’t sorted last thursday as it was supposed to be sorted but then was changed till yesterday but because of the hold up with Mbiwa it has now been set for today

Dave-but to be fair, I’d still rather have an unfocused Colo than a focused Willo….On the pitch at least. The problem comes with the Captaincy. Maybe we should loan him out for the sake of getting him out the dressing room and seeing if someone else can inspire the lads… 😕

Still, if he’s angry maybe that’d be a good thing, he might actually yell at someone then 😕

I just cant see us bringing in another CB, so MYM will have to play with either saylor or willo.
Its no wonder he wont sign a 5 yr deal.
Besides, I dont see us surviving the drop this year anyway, so he will be away in the summer.
I think the club is in a right old mess at the mo.
finding it very hard to keep the faith.

Lets hope Mbiwa is on the plane to Newcastle and not London,At this moment in time im not so sure,but I live in Hope.As for Collo he is a professional footballl player and gets well paid for doing it.If he has problems then give him a week to sort them out,we would be lucky to get anytime off for stuff like that.Suck it up son,whether he played away or his wife did its not my concern.He is contracted to us to play football and should be doing it to the best of his ability which at the moment is not very good.He needs to be a captain and lead this team,If he cant do that then he can buy out his contract and go back to Argentina,Beats me why some on here think he should get special treatment.What I would like him to to friggin Man Up and get the rest of your team to do the same or we are going in one direction only..DOWN!!!

GG thats the problem now he cannot be captain no matter what he does as his heart isn’t in it so either way we need a new captain only hopefully this time the captain will be a leader as for me Colo was.never a leader but more a follower that was given the armband as a sweetner to get him to sign the new contract.

@ChronicleNUFC: Check out today’s lead on Moussa Sissoko http://t.co/lOnISFvd ‏@StevePhillipsx: “Sissoko on his way?”
Sissoko would be a fantastic signing. Big mate of Cabaye – hope we can get this done

NEWCASTLE United look to have won the race to sign Moussa Sissoko – and the deal could be sealed BEFORE the transfer window slams shut.

With Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa due on Tyneside today to complete the formalities of his £6.7m move from Montpellier, Alan Pardew could soon have two fully-fledged French internationals to boost his struggling team.

Toulouse sporting director Ali Rachedi is understood to have indicated to the media in France the 23-year-old Sissoko will be allowed to leave the Ligue 1 club this month. However, a knockdown fee will be required.

It is now believed a deal is at an advanced stage and he could soon be a Newcastle player, with Sissoko hoping to see his move finalised.

Talks had taken place with Sissoko’s agent and the Magpies over a summer move with his contract set to run out in June.

However, given intense competition from Queens Park Rangers, Monaco and Marseille – not to mention Newcastle’s injury problems and Cheick Tiote’s absence due to the African Cup of Nations – the deal is now understood to have been brought forward to the January window.

The Magpies could do with fresh blood and battling midfielder Sissoko would help them drag themselves away from the relegation dogfight.

The box-to-box midfielder has made 100 appearances for Toulouse and netted eight goals.

He is also a close pal of Yohan Cabaye, who has encouraged him to make the switch to United.

As reported in last night’s Chronicle, United manager Pardew is set to be fully backed by the United board in the closing days of the window.

The addition of 20-year-old left-back Massadio Haidara from Nancy could even complete a French treble.

Reports in France today said Haidara was subject of a £2.9m bid from Newcastle.

That would just leave the striking positions to be filled and Bordeaux could yet see another bid for Yoan Gouffran in the coming days.

Im inclined to go along with that Dave,at the moment we need Captain that speaks French and English as the majority of our players understand that,not Spanish.In my opinion he has never been the player everyone claims he is,he had one good season and last season wasnt down to just him it was a team effort.This season he has been bollox along with others I might add.We are in the trenches here at the moment and we need our players to dig in deep and be lead.Im just not sure Argentinians have that do or die attitude thats required right now,If we dont get out of this mess we are in then we will be down down in the fizzy for a few seasons because all these players we have on our books wont take pay cuts or want to play for us in the second tier,they will be off like a shot.Obviously I hope we avoid the drop,but in all honesty players dont give a fuck,they just move somewhere else,usually get more money in another team and continue on their merry way and trot out the same old shit they always do about wanting to win things and be in the Champions League,they cant all go to the top 4 but that said,we have very few players that would get into the top 4 teams in my opinion.Anyway rant over,I could go on but its pointless as we all know that to have success you need to invest and keep doing it until you get there,then you need to maintain the investment to stay up there…Anybody think we..are capable of doing that with our current owner and his sidekick?????